Quiet As A Snake
by Kattzy
Summary: Twin sisters Katrinia and Estelle Blair have been accepted to Hogwarts. Their mother never told them they were witches until their letters came. Now the girls must prepare for a future in the wizarding world while discovering the secrets of their past. *Credit to J.K.Rowling for the concepts and dialogue which I used to be accurate and realistic.*
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: 9 3/4

"Hurry it up, Kitty! We are going to be late, and if it's your fault, I swear…"

I hear Estelle's sharp voice threatening me from the other side of the door. She is nervous, I know, because of pessimistic expectations for the day; otherwise she would be kinder with her words. But only a little. She has always been a loud, slightly harsh, person, increasingly this past year. I believe she is passing through some sort of phase, which she will overcome and then the two of us will draw close again. She seems so distant as of late…

"I'm coming, Estelle! Just let me lace up this boot," I tell her, fumbling with the laces and trying not to break off my fingernails. I had not noticed before how long they have become. I shall be sure to trim them as soon as I can, perhaps while on the train…

"Girls, get down here! We have fifteen minutes to reach King's Cross Station!" Mum's call reaches me as I swing open my bedroom door, hauling my suitcase and the cage for my new cat behind me.

The tall, dark-haired woman stands at the foot of the marble staircase, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor, causing the large foyer to echo with the clicking sound. I think how Estelle looks so much like her, while I appear to be completely unrelated to them both. I wonder again, as I have several times lately while I am alone, if I really am her daughter. It is a ridiculous thought, and I have no clue as to its' origin, but I think it all the same.

Mum glances down at her silver wristwatch and sighs. There is no time to drive, and certainly not enough to walk; we shall have to use the alternate mode of transportation. "Hurry, girls!" she snaps as we pound down the stairs, banging our suitcases on the hard marble surface. "And be careful with those."

"Sorry, Mum," Estelle apologizes, somewhat insincerely.

We wait for Mum to lock the front door to our old-fashioned mansion with the large brass key, and watch as she stuffs the key into the deep pocket of her dress. She turns and, finding us still there, shoos us down the walkway, around the side of the house. There is a sort of shed, masked partly by tall oak trees, which we had never been allowed to enter until earlier this summer.

Mum pulls a thin stick-her wand, beech and unicorn-tail hair, 8 3/4"- from her sleeve and points it at the door, which promptly unlocks and opens up. She pushes us inside and walks over to one of the winged, skeletal, equine creatures that live in this shed. She strokes the dragonish face and long black mane, before moving to mount the beast. Mum told me they are called Thestrals, but that is about all I know of them at this point.

"Mum, are you sure it's all right for us to ride them? Does is not bother them?" I ask. I set my things down and step towards the second animal, placing one hand on its head. It blinks its blank white, shining eyes.

"Of course, Kat," Mum replies, motioning for us to mount as well. She pats her Thestral's neck, and it begins to walk forward slowly.

I pull myself up onto my Thestral's back with a little difficulty, grabbing my suitcase and cage from the ground, and then follow Mum outside. I turn my head to teasingly say, "Oh, Estelle. It won't bite you."

Estelle pauses, lifting an eyebrow and sizing up the last Thestral suspiciously with her dark teal eyes. I can tell she is recalling the feeling of being thrown off of this creature once before, when she had attempted to ride it without permission. She blows a strand of jet black hair away from her eye -the same part which always slips down into her face- and lifts her leg to swing it over the Thestral's back. It starts to move forward, and she clutches its mane tightly.

"Are you scared of it?" I ask, trying to keep a straight face at the memory of Estelle lying in the grass in the middle of the night after I had come outside to investigate the screams that had reached all the way up to my bedroom in the back of the house.

"No, of course not," Estelle snaps, her cheeks flushing. She snatches her suitcase and the cage for her own cat and holds them carefully while still keeping a death-grip on the mane.

"Come on, girls. We're wasting time," Mum says as her Thestral begins beating its wings and lifting into the air.

I look to Estelle as we rise, and smile. "We're off to Platform 9 3/4… And Hogwarts!"

"Now, stick together, and try to be nice to the others, and try not to cause too much trouble, and try to…" Mum stops and glances at her watch again. "Oh, you know what to do. Go along now, loves. I will write to you soon." She kisses Estelle's forehead, and then mine, before handing us our cats, Lyric and Stella Rose. Then she stands there, gazing at us and smiling.

I clear my throat, and Estelle jerks her head towards the Thestrals, which are becoming impatient and pawing the ground. They do not like being so close to all the noise and people, I am sure. Right now we are standing just outside the station, seeing as the sight of big skeletal horses would frighten most Muggles, as Mum tells us non-magical beings are called.

Mum nods, gives my shoulder a tight squeeze with an "I love you Kat," and then turns to tend to the Thestrals. We do not have time to watch her fly away, because there are only a few minutes before the train will leave. One thing I should mention here, is that my real name is Katrinia, my sister calls me Kitty, and my Mum usually calls me Kat, or one of the other two on occasion. However, Kitty is sort of reserved for my sister, as she thought it up when we were younger. Moving on...

We enter the station and move down the platforms, searching for 9 and 10. Mum told us that our platform, 9 3/4, is located just between them, invisible to the Muggles. It took some convincing on her part when we looked at our tickets, but after we believed what she informed us of at the start of the summer, Estelle and I will accept nearly anything.

You see, Estelle and I, and Mum as well, are witches. Male magical beings are called wizards. We received letters that announced we had been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which came as quite a shock after being raised as Muggles. Mum still has not been clear on why she hid this information from us. After all, we are not Muggleborns, like some-those with no magical parents- but Purebloods, descended from witches and wizards all the way. I do not see what it matters whether you are Muggleborn, or Half-blood, or what.

Anyway, now that we are eleven, we will be first years at this school of magic, where we will learn spells, and potions, and be with others just like us. Estelle and I have never been around many people, another subject Mum avoids...

"Look at them over there," Estelle interrupts my thoughts, pointing to a family-four boys, a girl, and their mother- all with flaming red hair. "Do you suppose they're going to the same place as us?"

"Possibly," I reply, looking them up and down and trying not to be obvious about it. "Probably, judging from the owl. And they have carts. Where do you suppose they found those? Oh, never mind. Mum already told us how to get through. You just walk straight through."

Estelle purses her lips. "I think we should wait and watch those people."

Another boy pushes his cart behind him and seems to be watching and listening like us. He has dark hair, glasses, and striking green eyes, and he looks a bit lost, probably a first year like us.

I pull Estelle closer as the red-haired mother tells the small girl, "You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

The oldest-looking boy steps forward and vanishes into the barrier, followed by the twins, after a little name confusion with the mother- the first was Fred and the second was George, although I probably would not remember that later on.

The black-haired boy steps up now and asks for assistance. Estelle figures we should do the same, but I feel like I see what to do now, and I am honestly frightened of just walking up and talking to a stranger. Before Estelle can protest, I push through the barrier and instantly find myself looking at a scarlet steam engine.

Estelle must have hesitated, because it is a minute or so before she follows. Actually, the boy with glasses comes through first and looks around in amazement. I watch him push his cart down the platform, and then spot a sign overhead reading Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. The last red-headed boy comes through behind me, with his mother and sister.

I begin to worry about Estelle and consider turning back to find her, when she nearly knocks me over. "Sorry," she gasps. "I got a bit of a running start. I was afraid you might have left me."

"Then why didn't you come through right after me?" I roll my eyes and start after the red-heads, who definitely know where they are going. It seems that most of the compartments are already filled, or at least half-filled, with people I have never met. Of course, I knew I would have to choose to sit with someone, but it still turns my stomach. However, these people seem nice enough and perhaps we can sit with them.

They have stopped and are speaking together, so I hold back, not wanting to eavesdrop but feeling curious just the same. Estelle seems to be particularly interested in one of the twins. George, I think. Or is it Fred? Oh well. She obviously prefers one over the other.

"Now, you two-this year, you behave yourselves," the mother tells the twins. "If I get one more owl telling me you've-you've blown up a toilet or-"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet," one of them interjects.

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum," the other adds.

I notice a hint of a smile on the edge of Estelle's lips and lean close to her ear. "Fancy someone already, do you, Estelle?"

"What? Oh, shut up, Kitty! I am sure that you will find some boy yourself soon enough." Estelle rests her cat's cage on her suitcase and gives me a slight smirk.

"I highly doubt that," I retort, setting Stella Rose's cage down as well so I can cross my arms over my chest. "I would actually get to know a person first before I started gazing at them with stars in my eyes."

"What?" she asks incredulously again. "I do not have stars in my eyes. How could you say that? I don't give a flipping feather duster for that George whatever-his-last-name-is, and…" Her eyes flick over to said person and find him boarding the train. She snatches up her things and hisses, "We have to sit with them. Do not mess this up for me!"

I see the sister, Ginny, begin to cry. One of the boys says, "Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

The other adds, "We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!" the mother snaps.

"Only joking, Mum."

I realize now that the train is about to move and push Estelle clumsily on board before we are left behind. We scramble up, which is quite an accomplishment, I must say. Estelle looks both ways and turns right, looking into the compartments.

The youngest red-haired boy stops ahead of us and enters a compartment. I wonder if there's still room in that one, but Estelle is set on finding the twins. There does not appear to be much room left, so she might have to settle for someone else, as long as we have seats.

"You know, if we had gotten here sooner, we could have found a seat," I say, rolling my eyes again.

"You were the one who spent so long in the bath this morning," Estelle replies, peering into a compartment where a girl with bushy brown hair was seated, already in her Hogwarts robes. Suddenly, she jerks forward, speed-walking down the corridor.

I notice the twins up ahead and follow in annoyance, deciding to return to that girl's compartment if this proves unsuccessful.

"Harry," one of the boys says, " did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then." He slides the door closed and whips around, colliding with Estelle.

She very nearly drops Lyric's cage and stares at him, with those stars in her eyes again.

"Hey, watch where you're going, darlin'. Ah, eavesdropping, are we now?" He grinned and winked.

Estelle clearly cannot find words to respond. She manages a smile. Lyric meows loudly, and Estelle's face flushes a dark pink.

He grins again and holds out his hand. "My name's George. George Weasley." Estelle shakily takes his hand, and he lifts it to his lips, planting a gentle kiss on her fair skin. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance…" He pauses for her name.

"Estelle," she chokes out, her head bowed in embarrassed pleasure. "Estelle Blair," she blurts out louder.

"A lovely name for a lovely lady," George says with another wink.

I now realize that I have been staring openly at the two of them and turn my gaze to the other twin, Fred, who has apparently been watching me. He holds out his hand, trying to match George's suave manner. I take it and allow him to kiss my hand, while he keeps his eyes locked on mine with an odd intensity. "Fred Weasley, milady."

"Katrinia Blair," I introduce myself. "But you may call me Kat, my kind sir."

"Ah, yes, I believe I shall." He turns to my cat, his hand still clasping mine. "And who do we have here?"

"This is Lady Stella Rose. But we just call her Rose for short, most of the time." I open her cage and pull her out to show her off. She is a golden-brown tortoiseshell with sparkling indigo eyes, nearly identical to mine.

Fred strokes her fur and scratches her ears. Rose purrs and arches her back in delight. Fred pauses for permission, and I place Rose in his arms. He continues rubbing her from head to tail, while I turn my attention back to my sister and her new love.

Apparently they have wandered off somewhere- to be alone, most likely- because Fred and I are the only ones standing outside the compartment now. This situation surprises me. I really was not expecting to be away from Estelle on the very first day. I had thought that we would stick together, perhaps seem a bit standoffish at first, and then ease our way into things. Now here I am alone with some boy who really likes my cat.

I clear my throat, and he glances up. "Should we maybe find a compartment?" I bite my lip. "Or is that too straightforward. I mean, we've only just met. You certainly don't have to sit with me if you don't want to. I wasn't implying that at all. I just thought…"

"Well, of course I shall sit with you," Fred replies, handing Rose back to me carefully. "I don't plan on letting you out of my sight, milady. There are all sorts of ruffian and hoodlum about, and I certainly would not want you to run into trouble."

"So, you're going to protect me? How kind of you. You might as well carry my things as well," I tell him, locking Rose's cage and setting it in his hands. I place the suitcase at his feet, too.

Fred nods and follows me down the corridor obediently. I hold in a laugh. "Where did you leave your bags?" I ask over my shoulder.

"Oh, they're somewhere around here. But I think it was already full, so we'll just find you a place to sit, and I'll go back for my stuff later on. Actually, this kid, Lee Jordan, he's got a tarantula further on down there. I was kind of wanting to go check it out. Would you want to come with me?" Fred looks at me rather sheepishly. One would think he had just asked me to have dinner with him or something.

"Maybe, yeah. Just let me settle down first. How about in here?" I gesture to the compartment where I remember seeing the bushy-haired girl. She is not in there now, but then I see her standing in the door of the next one down with a round-faced boy.

She slides the door shut and turns to me. "Have you seen a toad about? Neville here has lost his."

"Oh, no, sorry," I tell her, truly regretful for the boy Neville seems very upset by it. "I'll be sure to let you know if I find him," I assure the boy, who gives me a grateful, shy smile. I place my hand on the girl's shoulder as she moves to walk past me. "I was just wondering, I saw you sitting in this compartment. Is there anyone else in there? I need a place to sit."

She almost seems surprised that I would want to sit with her. "Why, of course. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back once I find Neville's toad."

"Right. Thanks, er…"

"Hermione. Hermione Granger." She gives a little bob of her head and leads Neville away.

"I'm Neville Longbottom," he says quietly before he walks away. I smile, and he ducks his head down. He seems very shy, but it's sweet, in my opinion.

I see that Fred has already placed my things in the corner, and he holds out his arm, for me to grasp, I assume. I look back at Hermione and Neville, wondering if I should help them search for the missing toad, as I hook my arm through Fred's. I decide that I will come back after Fred sees this tarantula. I hate spiders, so hopefully just a quick glance will satisfy him.

As we walk along-arm in arm like a couple-another compartment door opens and three boys step out. It seems that no one actually stays in their compartments on the way to Hogwarts. I suppose there are too many interesting people and things about to sit quietly and look out the window, which was what I had planned on doing most of the way.

One boy catches my attention, and I halt. He has white-blond hair, a pale pointed face, and thin lips curled up in a sort of permanent smirk. He seems rather arrogant to me, with two bigger, brutish boys following behind him like bodyguards. He focuses his piercing gray eyes on me and in a blink looks me up and down, probably expecting me to not notice, but I do. Apparently satisfied with me, he holds his hands up for his companions to stop.

"There've been some rumors going about, that Harry Potter is on the train," he says in a drawling voice. "Have you seen him, then?"

I frown, vaguely recognizing the name-probably Mum mentioned it-but I am not sure if I have actually seen him or not. Fred grins and drops my arm.

"Yeah, I spoke with him, helped him put his trunk in his compartment," Fred tells him proudly. "He's right down there," Fred points out the compartment, "with my little brother, Ron."

"Right. I'd like to have a word with him," the boy says, still eyeing me, I can tell.

"Oh, you'd like to have a word," Fred says in a pompous voice, with a wink in my direction. "Are you the Malfoy boy?"

The Malfoy boy clears his throat and straightens his robes-I wonder if I should have mine on already-before replying, "Yes. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." The way the name rolls of his tongue almost makes we want to slap him, it irritates me so. Nonetheless, I cannot help but be greatly intrigued by this boy, whose name sounds terribly romantic to me, like something out of my favorite fairy tail books.

"Right. Well, Master Malfoy. Be on your way." Fred leads me past them, gesturing in an overdramatic manner. "I am taking my fair lady to view Sir Jordan's tarantula."

I have just adjusted my Hogwarts robes on my shoulders when Hermione slides open the compartment door and enters. She looks me over and appears to approve, giving me a friendly smile. She sits opposite me, smoothing out her own robes. "I don't believe I asked your name. How rude of me."

"Oh, it's Katrinia Blair," I tell her apologetically. "But you may call me Kat. Or, if you wish, and you think we could be great friends… you can call me Kitty."

Hermione seems please by the great friends prospect."That's an interesting, taking Kitty from Katrinia. How did it come about?"

"Well, my sister, Estelle, couldn't manage my name when she was little," I explain. "She would call me Kat usually, but there was this one time when I had been in another room for a long time for whatever reason. Estelle got really freaked out and started screaming for Kitty. Mum likes to tell us the story. She shouted, 'I want my Kitty! Where's my Kitty Kat?' And Kitty just kind of stuck." I laugh, thinking how much we used to depend on each other. Estelle and I have become sort of distant lately, and I wonder if we have perhaps had too much of one another.

"It's a pretty special thing, though, and Estelle is really the only one who's ever used it, so I'd appreciate it if you call me Katrinia or Kat around other people," I add awkwardly, knowing it is sort of strange to have name-calling restrictions. It is probably weird that I am sharing my "secret" name with an almost stranger, but it feels right to me.

"So do you call your sister something special?" Hermione wonders with a laugh.

"I could always pronounce her name, although it came out sort of broken up, like Es….telle. Somehow I don't think she would appreciate a nickname these days. She can get a little edgy about certain things," I say, wondering where the person of interest is right now. I hope to find her again before we go inside Hogwarts. I will feel much better during the sorting with her by my side, although this Hermione seems to be my first new friend and perhaps I will not have to depend on my sister the whole time.

"We'll be there soon, you know," Hermione tells me, in her matter-of-fact voice, which I have decided is not a sign of arrogance but rather shows that this girl truly knows her stuff. "I asked the conductor."

"Well, you're very on top of things, aren't you, Hermione? I think you're a good person to have around."

She blushes at the compliment, and I can tell that she already values my friendship. "I just like to know what's going on and what I'm supposed to do, where I'm supposed to be. I did a lot of research before I came- Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century, Hogwarts: A History- so that I would know everything I need to. I'm Muggleborn, you see." Her face flushes even more at this, and I can see that she is awaiting a reaction from me, hoping for a positive one.

"Oh, really! Wow, I'm sure all that reading really caught you up to everyone else," I tell her, quite impressed and wondering why I had not taken time to read more of Mum's books before I came. I only skimmed through the required reading for this school year. "I don't even have that much information."

"Are you Muggleborn as well?"

"No… But Mum raised us as such for some reason she has yet to give. I had no idea I was a witch until I received my acceptance letter. It was quite a shock, as I'm sure it was for you, too. Especially when Estelle and I learned we were pureblooded witches who have had all sorts of magical family members. We've never met any of them-"

I am cut off by an announcer's voice. " We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken to the school separately."

"Well, I guess we'd better prepare to get off, then," I say, standing up. "We can finish talking later."

Hermione smiles and opens the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Four Houses

We are climbing into boats at the edge of a black lake. Across the water, I can see the castle which Mum described to me, underneath a sky of brightly shining stars. I find Estelle, who had to part with George because only first years ride in these boats. Hermione has climbed into a boat with Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and the black-haired boy who I assume is Harry Potter. She tells me that she will meet up with me later, and I nod. I climb in with my sister and two others- a boy with sandy hair and a girl with blond pigtails-who introduce themselves as Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott.

A huge man with a beard- who Estelle tells me is Hagrid, the gamekeeper (George told her)- has been crowding us all together. "Everyone in?" he shouts. "Right then. Forward!"

Estelle stares at the water, trailing her fingers in it. Hannah watches her but looks too scared to try it herself. Seamus is chattering in my ear in his Irish accent, and I realize I have not paid attention to a single word. "Sorry, can you repeat that?"

He puts his mouth right beside my ear and says loudly, " I said, what House do you hope you'll be in?"

"Ouch! You didn't have to say it that loud," I complain.

"Well, you're apparently hard of hearing." Seamus grins and awaits my reply.

Mum ran through some basics with us, and I remember the names of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. It made Estelle and I laugh, but Mum told us we might get in trouble if we mocked the names of the school's founders while here. Anyway, I do not recall what qualities you need to get into each of them. All I know is that Mum was in Slytherin. I really wish she had told us more instead of flinging us into the magical world with few explanations. It occurs to me for the first time that perhaps she is glad to be rid of us for a while. Maybe she has never known what to do with us…

"Hello! Katrinia!" Seamus practically shouts in my ear.

I jump and shake the boat. I realize that we have reached the opposite side and also that I have still not answered the question. "Um, what House do you want to be in?" I ask in a mumble as I clamber out of the boat and move to follow the other new students.

"Gryffindor, of course. No where else to be, or at least that's what me Mum told me" Seamus says before frowning. "Of course, if you end up in another that would be perfectly all right. I wasn't saying that."

I nod as we walk up stone steps. Hagrid asks, " Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" He is looking at Neville, who is now clutching a toad. I smile at him, and he holds the animal up. "His name is Trevor," he whispers to me.

Hagrid knocks on the huge oak door, and it swings open to reveal a stern witch with a pointed hat. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid says.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." The woman leads us across the floor and into an empty chamber. I gaze wide-eyed at the inside of the castle, even more magnificent than the outside, trying not to trip over someone as I lift my eyes to the ceiling. I stand in between Seamus and Estelle as Professor McGonagall says words which I am sure she has told first years many times before. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours."

I wonder how long she will go on for. I glance at Estelle, who rolls her eyes.

"The Sorting Ceremony," McGonagall continues, "will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." She eyes Neville's disheveled cloak and a smudge on Ron's nose. Harry tries to fix his hair, and I hope that I look all right. "I shall return when we are ready for you," McGonagall concludes. "Please wait quietly."

"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" Harry asks when she had left.

"Some sort of test, I think," Ron replies. "Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Mum never said anything about a test, so I assume they are mistaken. I think it is merely a personality test and not something to worry about. However, Hermione is whispering to me about all the spells she already knows, curious if she will need them already. I try to assure her that it will be fine, vaguely noticing what appear to be ghosts floating above our heads.

The professor returns and informs us that the Ceremony is about to start, so we file into the Great Hall. I stand behind Hermione, who is behind Ron, Harry, and Seamus. There are lots of older students already seated at four tables, probably corresponding to Houses. I gulp and wonder which one I will sit at from now on. I feel for Estelle's hand behind me and grasp it tightly. Her fingers are clammy and sweaty, which causes me to feel very nervous. If confident, ambitious, sometimes quite solemn Estelle is worried, then I probably should be as well.

Hermione whispers to me," It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

I realize she means the ceiling, which indeed looks like a dark sky filled with stars. I am snapped back to the front by a voice singing. It appears to be a patched-up wizard hat on a stool, which has a sort of mouth from which it goes on about how it is the best hat ever or something. Then it gives me some useful information. "You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart. You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal. Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil. Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning will always find their kind. Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends. Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends. So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) for I'm a Thinking Cap!"

I run over the House descriptions in my mind, trying to decide which one I would prefer. Ravenclaw sounds pretty good; I would hope to be brave enough to make it into Gryffindor, or be a good enough person to end up a Hufflepuff, though I doubt it; and Slytherin might be interesting. I would guess that Estelle will be in Slytherin, though it is just a slim hunch. I will find out soon enough.

Professor McGonogall has begun calling names, and I realize that Estelle and I will come very soon, as our last name starts with a B. "Abbott, Hannah!" Hufflepuff. "Belby, Marcus!" Ravenclaw. "Blair, Estelle!"

My sister's face is white like one of those ghosts, and I know she had been expecting a little longer to go. I give her hand a squeeze and nudge her forwards encouragingly, knowing that I am next. Estelle sits on the stool and allows McGonogall to place the Hat on her head. I say allows because I can tell that Estelle would rather rip the woman's eyes out and run from the room, but I appreciate her controlling herself in front of everyone else.

The Hat appears to be deliberating over it and nearly a minute passes in silence. Estelle now looks as if she is going to pass out or either scream, because I know how she hates long pauses. She wants you to spit out your thoughts and not make her worry about what you are going to say. She digs her nails into the stool and stomps one foot on the floor. We are both relieved when the Hat finally calls out…

"Slytherin!"

The Slytherin students cheer and Estelle shakily makes her way over to the table, keeping her eyes on the floor. An older boy motions to the seat at his left, and she collapses beside him, exhaling hard. He pats her on the back, and she fakes a smile. Now she looks at me, probably worrying that I wont' get into the same House as her. As independent as Estelle and I have grown, I know that she still wants me to be within reach if she needs me. To spend a lot of time apart for the next seven years is a scary thought.

"Blair, Katrinia!" McGonagall calls, and I tear my eyes away from my sister.

I move towards the front in a daze, suddenly overcome by a faint, weak feeling. Hermione touches my hand as I pass by, and I notice Fred grinning at me from the Gryffindor table. So the Weasleys are Gryffindors. Estelle might not be too pleased by that, as she seems to have grown fond of George. But we can deal with that later.

Now I am sitting on the stool. I feel the Hat rest on my head. Its voice echoes in my mind. "Ah, you will be difficult to place, just like your sister. There is so much you both want and so much that you can accomplish. The question is where will you most likely succeed? You will be patient and hard-working if you must, but you would find the Hufflepuffs a bit silly. You certainly are brave; why, you came here despite being terrified, though you do not let it show. However, you are a bit too standoffish to be a Gryffindor, are you not? And Slytherin, why you have much ambition and could be pushed to do great things, like your sister. But no, I believe you would enjoy Ravenclaw the best. You will find good friends there, I guarantee it. Perhaps some rivals, as well, but that will only motivate you. Yes, Ravenclaw seems to do it. Creativity, wit, learning, cleverness. All you, my dear."

Yes, I think. That sounds just right. But if you are so sure, why are taking so long on me?

"Because," the Hat tells me, "you need to be sure of it as well. If you understand all sides, and see this as the only logical solution, then… better be…" I bite my lip and hear the voice sounding out through the Great Hall, "Ravenclaw!"

The Ravenclaw table erupts with cheers, and I feel a wide smile spread across my lips. I look to Estelle, who nods consent. I wonder if the Hat mentioned me to her as I search for a spot to sit down. A beautiful Asian-looking girl flashes a popular-girl smile and pats the empty place beside her. I slide into the seat give her a grateful look, however something about her expression and mannerism tells me that she is just doing it to be polite and she really could not care less about a new student.

She introduces herself as Cho Chang, and I give my name as well, though I only say Katrinia because I cannot tell yet if I want her to have the close-friend honor of calling me Kitty. I hate to be judgmental, but I have always had this way of easily perceiving people. There are several other very pretty girls wearing lots of makeup sitting around her, but I get the feeling that she is the leader of the pack.

My harsh thoughts are interrupted by the Sorting Hat's loud shout of, "Hufflepuff!" for a girl whose name I did not hear. McGonogall calls, "Boot, Terry!" and the boy is placed in Ravenclaw. Several people shake his hand as he joins us, although Cho and her gang do not seem very interested in him. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" come to Ravenclaw as well, and once again Cho does not welcome the newcomer. I begin to wonder if she saw something special in me; either she wants me to be her friend, or she plans to discard me if I become unentertaining. This is probably too far of a conclusional jump, though, so I convince myself to give the girl the benefit of the doubt.

Bulstrode, Millicent, Slytherin; Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hufflepuff; Finnigan, Seamus, Gryffindor (I am glad that the loud but kind boy got his House wish); Granger, Hermione, Gryffindor (I am slightly disappointed that we will not be in the same House and am a bit surprised that she was not Ravenclaw because of how incredibly intelligent she seems.)

On and on the Sorting goes, while I feel my stomach begin to rumble. Cho glances down at me with an unreadable expression. I clamp my hands on my belly and will it to be silent for a little while longer. I see that dear little "Longbottom, Neville" is placed in Gryffindor. It appears that all the people I had met before seem to be brave and courageous Gryffindors.

"Malfoy, Draco" is next, and I notice myself straightening up to get a better view of the interesting boy. He walks to the front with an arrogant swagger and sits confidently on the stool. Immediately the Hat shouts, "Slytherin!" This does not come as much of a surprise to me. Draco strolls over to his table and drops down beside his brutish friends, whom I did not catch the names of. Estelle glances at them with obvious disgust and rolls her eyes. They are a bit… distasteful, although it seems many in Slytherin are, excepting my sister, of course.

"Padma, Patil" joins Ravenclaw and sits with Mandy and the other apparent first year outcasts. I begin to feel guilty about being with the older girls, who are whispering and giggling to each other about different boys and how they should fix their hair the next day. I wonder what Ravenclaw qualities they posses and hope that I will discover it during classes tomorrow.

"Potter, Harry!" The hall is filled with gasps and excited whispers as the boy walks to the front, looking a bit nervous. I still have no idea who he is, but apparently it is something very interesting and possibly important. The Hat seems to be talking to him, like it did with me. Harry is gripping the side of the stool with a determined look on his face. The Hat shouts, "Gryffindor!" and Harry moves over to the table a bit shakily, though seeming quite relieved, as the students cheer loudly.

Fred and George are yelling, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" I wonder if they would have been pleased had Estelle or I joined them as well. I turn to Cho and ask her what the huge deal is. She gawks at me, as if this is a fact I should already know. "Are you Muggleborn, then?" she asks. I shake my head, no, and her dark eyes widen. "Then have you been living under a rock? That is the Harry Potter, who defeated You-Know-Who when he was only a baby!"

I actually do not know who, but it seems that I should find out details at a later time, because Cho has returned her attention to the front, obviously assuming that I am all caught up now. "Thomas, Dean" goes to Gryffindor along with "Weasley, Ron," who looks overjoyed to be joining his older brothers. I think this Ron boy looks kind of cute, and I would probably be better off liking him than, say, Fred, because we are the same age. But I shall have to get to know him properly first before I can decide anything.

Estelle is gazing at George from across the hall, although I am sure that no one else could tell where her eyes are looking but me. She obviously has already made her judgment and most likely has her heart set on her favorite Weasley twin. I sigh and shake my head, although I find it a bit funny that she of all people would be caught staring at a boy.

I see now that Cho has beckoned for one of the newly sorted girls, Lisa Turpin, to join us. She has long wavy hair and a sweet smile. She slides in beside me and quietly introduces herself.

"I just heard Lisa say that she plays Quidditch," Cho says. Thankfully I remember Mum explaining that Quidditch is a wizarding sport played on broomsticks.

"Oh, really? That's so cool. I'm Katrinia, by the way." I hold out my hand for Lisa to shake. She opens her mouth to say something, but is cut off by Cho.

"Do you play Quidditch, Katrinia?"

"Er, no. I'm afraid not. I've never tried, but I don't think I'd be very good," I admit. I am more of an art and literature kind of girl.

Cho frowns. "Well, you should try out next year anyway. You have to be at least a second year to play, you know. I'm going to help Lisa train until then so she'll be almost guaranteed a spot on the Ravenclaw team."

Lisa grins. "Really? You mean it? Oh, thank you, Cho!" She puts her arm around Cho and gives her a slight squeeze, which is accepted by another polite smile.

"So, I'm guessing you play, Cho. What position are you?" I ask, although I know nothing about positions.

"I'm a Seeker," she replies proudly. "I've been a huge Quidditch fan since I was six years old. My favorite team is the Tutshill Tornadoes. How about you?"

"Um, probably the Holyhead Harpies," Lisa answers. "I also cheer for the Bulgarian team."

They turn to hear my answer, as food suddenly appears on our previously empty gold plates. I suppose we missed the last of the Sorting. The girls are distracted by their meal and so I do not answer the question. I really need to borrow some of Hermione's books so I do not feel like a complete idiot while talking to these other witches.

After a little while, the white-haired, white-bearded Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore stands up, and the hall falls silent. Mum told me he is one of the greatest wizards of all time and showed me his picture. "Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not with to die a very painful death. And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore gives his wand a flick, which causes a gold ribbon of words to shoot out the end, as the other teachers smiles turn a little sour.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Dumbledore cries. I do not feel like singing, but since the man seems to enthusiastic, I figure I will humor him.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please," everyone sings at different paces. "Whether we be old and bald or young with scabby knees. Our heads could do with filling with some interesting stuff, for now they're bare and full of air, dead flies, and bits of fluff. So teach us things worth knowing, bring back what we've forgot. Just do your best, we'll do the rest, and learn until our brains all rot."

The Weasley twins are singing very slowly in a solemn tone, and Dumbledore conducts their last few lines with his wand and claps loudly when they finally finish after everyone else. "Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

A girl with long curly hair stands at our table and says loudly, "My name is Penelope Clearwater, and I am your House Prefect. I f all the first years will follow me to the common room, please. No pushing or shoving. And please do not pull out your wands." She flashes a practiced smile and walks down the aisle, with little eleven-year-olds trailing her.

Cho holds Lisa and I back. "You can just walk up with me and the girls, all right?"

We nod, hoping we will not get in trouble for not following Penelope. As we casually walk along, Cho introduces her "best friend, Marietta Edgecombe," who looks me up and down before giving an approving smile. Before long we have reached the entrance to the common room, where Penelope has already opened the door-by correctly answering a riddle, Cho tells me- and led the others inside. I really hope that I will be able to figure out the answers, or else always have someone with me to do it for me; Lisa tells me that if I made it into Ravenclaw, I have to be clever enough to work out the logic of the riddles.

I go up the staircase to the girls' dormitory, leaving Cho and her group gossiping about so-and-so and such. There is a sign on each door, listing the names of the girls who will stay in each room. I find mine, at the end of the hall, listed with "Lisa Turpin, Mandy Brocklehurst, Padma Patil, and Alannis Sheppley." I push open the door to find the other girls already in there, except for Lisa, who has stayed downstairs with Cho.

I find my suitcase and Rose's cage beside a four-poster bed with midnight blue velvety curtains and a pillow embroidered with a bronze eagle, which I think is Ravenclaw's symbol. I feel suddenly very tired, so I quietly grab some pajamas from my suitcase and quickly change into them in the corner. I unlock Rose's cage and pull back the covers, slipping under them as my cat curls up at the foot of the bed as she does at home.

"Oh, she is just precious!" says a girl with dark hair in a plait that almost reaches her waist. She pauses with her hands close to Rose, and I nod permission. "Oh, she's so soft. What's her name?"

"Lady Stella Rose, but we just call her Rose," I reply, amused by her excitement. One would think she has never seen a cat before.

"All I have is a stupid feathery owl," she complains, pressing her cheek against Rose's fur. Then she glances up at me watching her and straightens up, extending her hand. "I'm Padma Patil."

"Katrinia Blair," I reply, feeling exhausted from the many introductions that day, something that always seems to get on my nerves.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. And your cat," Padma says with a smile. She points to the other girls. "This is Mandy and Alannis."

I give a little wave, as everyone climbs into their beds. We cut off our lights, leaving the one beside the remaining bed on. A few minutes later, Lisa slips in with a whispered apology. The room goes dark, and all is quiet except for the slight murmur of the wind against the window pane.


End file.
